The planning application for a new £49 million school building in Machynlleth has been officially submitted to the council.

Having been in development for several years, Powys County Council announced on Tuesday, May 21, that an official planning application to replace the current Ysgol Bro Hyddgen building has been submitted to be considered by council planners.

The new 540-place, all ages school will be built at Ysgol Bro Hyddgen’s site in Greenfield Street to replace the current primary and secondary school buildings.

Cllr Pete Roberts, Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys, said: “The new building will provide modern facilities for our pupils and teaching staff and help them to deliver an enjoyable and fulfilling education experience for everyone.

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“This is an important strategic project for the council as it will help us deliver our commitments in the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan and increase the number of pupils being taught through the medium of Welsh."

Powys County Council has been developing the building as part of its Transforming Education programme, which will also see the school transition from a dual-stream school to a Welsh-medium school.

The new build will be funded by the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, which will fund 65 percent of the project, while the remaining 35 per cent would be funded by the council.

According to Powys Council’s plans the replacement building will provide flying start and early years facilities incorporated within primary school setting, secondary provision with post-16 education.

Also included will be an additional learning needs centre and wellbeing provision, as well as a community room and all-weather pitch.

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The development of a new school building for Ysgol Bro Hyddgen has been in the works since 2017, but faced delays that year following the collapse of the main contractor, Dawnus Construction Ltd.

In November 2020, a proposed £48 million learning and leisure campus was approved by the Welsh Government but has since been deemed to be no longer affordable in the face of spiralling costs in the current economic climate, jumping from £48 million to £66 million.

In October 2022, Powys Cabinet members confirmed only the school element of the plans would go ahead at a cost of £49.12m.

With plans formally submitted, the new school is expected to be open to pupils in 2027.